


How to Check out a Librarian

by forgetmequite



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Babysitting, M/M, librarian!alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 14:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16389452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgetmequite/pseuds/forgetmequite
Summary: Magnus takes Madzie to the library's story time. He enjoys meeting the librarian who runs it more than he thought he would.





	How to Check out a Librarian

**Author's Note:**

> I want to be sorry about the title but I kind of am not, it was right there.

”I owe you,” Catarina said as she pushed past Magnus to the front door before Magnus even had time to remove his shoes.

“My pleasure.” Magnus finished the sentence even though the last syllables were drowned out by the door slamming closed after Catarina.

He wasn’t lying, Magnus thought as he turned from the door to watch as Madzie skipped into the hall, dragging a shark plushie by the fin. With the right child, surprise baby-sitting was no chore.

“Hi, Madzie, how’s my favourite niece?”

Madzie giggled. “I’m your only niece.”

Magnus lifted her up, and Madzie squealed with delight. “And yet you’re my most absolutely favourite.”

“I am.”

Magnus set her down and they started for the kitchen. “What do we have planned for today, sweet pea? Your mum said we’re going on a trip.”

Madzie sat down on a chair by the kitchen table, hugging the shark to her chest. “We’re going through the Looking Glass!”

“Mmm,” Magnus said as he rummaged through Catarina’s tidy cupboards for a suitable snack. “And where would this looking glass be?”

Madzie laughed. “The library, of course. Mr Alec said that we’re going to meet Tweedledum and Tweedledee. And Jabberwocky!”

“Wow.” Magnus found bananas and gave one to Madzie before sitting down next to her and starting to peel his own. “Sounds exciting.”

Cat had mentioned a couple of times that she’d taken Madzie to the library’s story time. Magnus could roll with that. He’d always enjoyed _Alice_.

They finished their snacks as Madzie blabbered on about Mr Alec and how he made different voices for the characters and how he always had time to answer Madzie’s questions about the stories. Magnus nodded along happily, entertaining himself with the image of a sixty-something man dressed in a frayed woollen sweater and always fumbling for his reading glasses.

The library was only a few blocks away from Cat’s place, so they walked there. Madzie skipped along happily, still talking about story time, and Magnus listened, secretly formulating all the jokes he could make to Cat about Madzie having a crush on an elderly librarian.

They were at the library early, and Magnus was just going to let Madzie guide him to the children’s section when Madzie let go of his hand and darted away.

“Mr Alec!”

Magnus watched her run towards an old man with reading glasses _and_ a cane and-

“Madzie! Hi!

And come to a halt in front of the man partially hidden by a bookshelf, but obviously younger.

It seemed he’d misjudged this Mr Alec, Magnus thought as he followed Madzie to where her favourite librarian had crouched down to meet her at eye level.

Mr Alec shifted coming better into view, and Magnus's mouth went dry.

Mr Alec was certainly not a sixty-something, and he didn't have reading glasses, either.

He was a very hot man probably a few years younger than Magnus, nodding along to what Madzie was saying with a bright smile on his face. The obvious affection in his eyes made him even hotter.

If Magnus was ever again going to dream of having a spouse and kids, he certainly knew who was going to star in his dreams from now on.

He put on his best Uncle Magnus smile and crouched down next to Madzie.

“With speed like that, maybe your mum will sign you up for track yet.” He smiled at her and turned to the other man crouching by her. “And this must be your illustrious Mr Alec, right?”

The man smiled at him, bright, still affectionate and definitely interested. Magnus would have stood a little taller if he hadn’t been almost on the floor and in the presence of a child.

“Yes,” Madzie said happily. “He says the looking glass book has a map!”

“It sure has,” the man said to her, and then turned to Magnus. “I’m Alec, um, Alexander Lightwood. And you- you must be Madzie’s Uncle Magnus that I’ve heard so much about.”

Magnus gave Alec Lightwood his most charming smile. “Only good things, I hope. Magnus Bane.”

“Of course only nice things,” Madzie said. “Uncle Magnus is great!”

“I’m sure he is,” Alec said. “Is he going to come to story time as well?”

“I don’t know. Mum doesn’t, but Uncle Magnus doesn’t like reading knitting magazines.”

Magnus put his hand on Madzie’s shoulder. “I’ll definitely come to story time, sweet pea, if you’d like me to.”

Madzie nodded. “It’s going to be great.”

“Yeah,” Magnus said and glanced at Alec. “I’m sure it will be.”

\---

Story time _was_ great. Madzie had not been exaggerating about Alec’s reading skills. He was an engaging reader, and the voices he made for the different characters were fitting and distinctive. Obviously there were some kids whose attention was wandering, and even one that literally wandered off from the story time area, but the kids were hanging on to Alec’s every word as much as it was possible for a bunch of kids with regular children’s attention span. So was Magnus. Of course, his focus wasn’t one hundred percent on the story and he was probably appreciating the reader himself more than the kids, but still. As the cherry on top, it was very obvious that Alec was really enjoying performing for the children.

He’d be a great father, Magnus found himself thinking and bit his tongue inside his mouth. He’d better not get any ideas about with whom Alec would parent.

Once the story time was over, Madzie jumped up and hastened to Alec with questions about the story and requests to reread specific bits. Magnus watched from afar for a while, mostly because the image of Madzie and Alec with their heads bent over the same storybook was far too cute to miss. Once the moment began to stretch, though, he figured he should probably take Madzie off Alec’s hands and let him go back to whatever other work he had.

“Maybe you could spare the rest of your questions for next week, sweet pea,” he said, stepping closer to them. “I’m sure Mr Alec needs to get back from Alice’s adventures to this world.”

Madzie nodded and said her goodbyes to Alec so obediently that Magnus was sure Catarina had said something like that many a time before.

“I’ll see you next week, Madzie.” Alec waved at Madzie before giving Magnus a small smile. “It was wonderful to meet you, Magnus.”

As they walked back to Catarina’s place, Magnus couldn’t deny that Madzie was not the only person who’d been reluctant to leave.

\---

Cat got home around seven, ate the dinner Magnus and Madzie had cooked, congratulated Madzie on the New York diorama she’d been working on for school before sending her off to continue it, sat down on the sofa, raised her feet up and accepted the beer Magnus offered her.

“So, how was it today?”

Magnus sat down next to her. “You know spending time with your daughter is always a delight.”

Cat smiled, opened her mouth to say something and closed it abruptly, giving Magnus a look that felt both like she was considering him and knew all of his secrets. She was good at looks like that; that was the price you paid for knowing someone for so long.

“You guys went to the library, didn’t you?”

“Yes. You told me to take her to story time.”

One corner of Cat’s mouth quirked up and she took a swig of her beer. “I didn’t tell you to crush on the librarian who runs it, though.”

Magnus blinked and chose his words very carefully. “That’s true, but I fail to see the relevance.”

Cat snorted. “I know you. Your face is like an open book to me.”

There wasn’t much point in arguing. It wasn’t like Cat had been wrong.

“I thought Raphael was the friend who makes fun of my feelings.”

“I didn’t mention it to mock you.”

“Then why did you?”

Catarina gave him a very level stare. “Under no circumstances are you allowed to mess it up if you go for it.”

Now it was Magnus’s turn to snort. “I had no idea you took such good care of your local librarian’s feelings.”

“I don’t care about his feelings.” Cat made a movement as if Alec’s feelings were a pesky fly she could swat away. “But Madzie loves that story time, and that man might not be as good with her if her dear Uncle Magnus breaks his heart. I love that weekly peaceful hour relaxing in that comfortable armchair browsing magazines. Don’t ruin it for me, Magnus.”

“You shouldn’t get so ahead of yourself,” Magnus said, fiddling with his sleeve. “Who even knows if he’d be interested?”

“He better be.” Catarina gave him a small smile. “Madzie looks up to him so much, and I’ll be damned if I let my daughter be influenced by a fool.”

Magnus let out a quick laugh, nudging Catarina’s arm gently with his elbow. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Catarina said.

They finished their drinks and went to see how Madzie’s diorama was going.

\---

This was a foolish idea, Magnus thought to himself as he pushed the library door open. He didn’t even know anything about librarians’ work schedules, Alec probably wasn’t even here today.

He ducked into the library almost apologetically, half-convinced all he could do would be to scan the whole customer area to verify that Alec was not there and slip away feeling as embarrassed as he had when entering. Maybe that attitude was why it took him a few minutes to spot Alec behind the customer service desk.

Magnus didn’t try to stop the smile from overtaking his face. It might be a foolish idea, but then again, he had very little to lose. If Alec wasn’t interested, Magnus would get over it and be polite if he ever happened to bring Madzie to the story time ever again.

There was someone at the desk, so Magnus settled in to queue. It didn’t take more than a minute or two for the person at the desk to leave, and Magnus stepped up just as Alec looked away from the computer screen. Their gazes met.

For a second, Alec’s face was blank, and Magnus had time to go through the nightmare scenario of Alec having forgotten him entirely. He’d made money as a bartender in college, he knew how faces blurred together when you did customer service. It could very well be that Alec only remembered a vague blur that had accompanied Madzie the day before.

Then Alec’s eyes lit up in delighted recognition, and Magnus could breathe again.

“Welcome again.” Alec definitely had not been smiling that widely at the previous customer. “Are you here with Madzie?”

“No, just for myself.” Magnus returned the smile. “Visiting yesterday reminded me that my library card’s expired and I need to renew it.”

He handed over the card and his driver’s licence and couldn’t help leaning against the counter a little as Alec checked the ID.

“The hair has changed quite a bit, but I hope it’s still recognisable.”

Alec took another look at the card and then a longer look at Magnus. He wasn’t hiding that he liked what he saw.

“You look great with or without magenta highlights.”

“Thank you, Alexander.”

Alec went back to renewing the card, and Magnus could only hope that whatever system the library used to track the cards, it wouldn’t tell Alec that Magnus’s hadn’t been used for years. He liked making his interest clear, but not quite like that.

“And there you go,” Alec said as he finally handed back both Magnus’s library card and his driver’s licence. “It’ll be good for three years and then you’ll have to renew it again.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Alec smiled, very clearly as unwilling to end the conversation as Magnus was. Mercifully there was no one queuing up behind him, so Magnus didn’t even feel bad about not moving anywhere.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you here before yesterday,” Alec said. “Do you live close by?”

“Not very far.” Magnus kept his answer vague because there was no way he was going to tell Alec he’d had no idea libraries had something to offer him until he’d walked in with Madzie the day before. It wasn’t his fault no one had told him how attractive librarians could be. “But if you wanted to see more of me, that could certainly be arranged.”

For a split second, nothing changed in Alec’s expression, and Magnus braced himself for rejection before he realised he was even doing it.

Then Alec’s smile got wider and his eyes softened. It was a lovestruck look if Magnus had ever seen one, and he feared what Alec might achieve with it if he ever chose to harness its full powers.

“I get off in an hour if you wanted to- Um, if you wanted to go get coffee or something. I mean-“

“I’d love to,” Magnus interrupted.

“Great. Um- I’ll see you in an hour?”

“Wonderful.” Magnus wet his lips. “Not to distract you from your work, but could you point me to towards the place where you keep your magazines.”

Alec stood up so eagerly he almost slammed his chair against the wall behind him. “I’ll show you, that’s literally my job.”

He guided Magnus past the children’s section to where Magnus could see a very large sign practically shouting ‘Magazines’ in the corner of the library.

“I can find my way there now if you need to get back to the desk.”

“We always take the customer to the place they asked instead of just pointing,” Alec said. He was blushing slightly. “Customer service policy, it’s literally written in a binder somewhere.”

“Well,” Magnus averted his eyes in coyness that was only partially for show, “I wouldn’t want to force you to lower your high standards for customer service.”

“Was there a particular magazine you were looking for?” Alec asked once they reached the magazine section.

Magnus was still trying to give a good impression, so he didn’t ask for any of the tabloids he usually liked to browse in waiting rooms, but instead named a science magazine he’d been meaning to reread an article from.

Alec showed it to him, and then pointed at one of the armchairs nearby.

“That one’s the most comfortable, we actually voted about it in a staff meeting and everyone agreed. I’ll, um, I can come here when my shift is over.”

“That sounds great,” Magnus said.

Alec left with a final smile and a few backward glances as he was walking away. Magnus caught them because he didn’t even open his magazine before Alec was out of sight.

It could turn out to be nothing, he told himself firmly as he settled more into the very comfortable armchair. He went out on lots of dates and for a good long while all of them had turned out to be nothing, nothing lasting at least. But there was something in Alec’s eyes, and in how looking at them made Magnus’s heart feel, that promised that this time could be different.

Only time could tell. And so far, time spent with Alec had been very much worth it. It seemed like a safe bet that a coffee with Alec, or dinner if things went really well, would be even better.

Magnus found his article and settled in to read. Only time could tell, but he had a very good feeling about it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/forgetmequite)!


End file.
